Supporting structure for foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a supporting element of a foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly. The shoe cover assembly includes a front sheet, a rear sheet, a supporting element, and combining pieces. The supporting element is continuously provided on a peripheral edge of the front sheet to substantially form an L-shaped loop. The rear sheet is provided with a notch to be combined with the front sheet. The combining pieces are provided on front and rear edges of the rear sheet respectively. Four bending points of the supporting element are provided with a wrapping portion respectively. By this arrangement, the supporting element helps the shoe cover assembly to cover the shoe of a user and makes the shoe cover assembly to be folded easily for better storage.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a supporting element of a foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly, and in particular to a foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly which is made of light and thin material and can be rapidly folded for storage.

2. Description of Prior Art

Nations with an island climate may have a sudden heavy rain. Thus, people often use raincoats and umbrellas to keep rain off on rainy days. However, raincoats or umbrellas can only protect upper garments and trousers from rainwater, but the rainwater is still apt to be absorbed on the trouser legs, shoes and socks, which is a troublesome thing for most people. To this end, various shoe cover assemblies with a bottom have been proposed. However, it is not very convenient for a user to put on or take off such a conventional shoe cover assembly having a bottom. Further, the conventional shoe cover assembly having a bottom cannot be folded easily for storage.

Thus, a light shoe cover assembly (like a light raincoat) is proposed, whereby the user can put it on or take it off very conveniently. However, such a light shoe cover assembly is designed as a pull-on shoe cover assembly, so that it may make the user to slip and even fall down. On the other hand, such a conventional light shoe cover assembly cannot conform to the shoes having various shapes

Taiwan Patent Application No. 100220925 filed by the Applicant and entitled “foldable Bottomless Rainproof Shoe Cover Assembly” discloses a bottomless shoe cover assembly made of a plurality of light-and-thin sheets without a bottom. A supporting element is provided on a front sheet, and a notch is provided on a rear sheet. Front and rear edge of the rear sheet are provided with a combining piece respectively. By this arrangement, the bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly is light, thin and foldable for easy storage.

In the above-mentioned foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly, it can be folded for easy storage. The supporting element has a certain allowance of deformation. The shoe toe and shoe vamp are provided with a wrapping portion respectively, so that left and right sides of the bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly can be compressed toward the center of the shoe cover assembly to make it flat after being folded. Thus, the shoe cover assembly can be stored without occupying too much space. However, since the supporting element is not provided with a spring, the supporting element will get broken when the shoe cover assembly is folded in the front-and-rear direction for a long time.

Therefore, the Applicant proposes a novel foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly, which can be folded into another shape different from that of the related art. In order to achieve the desired effects, the supporting element is subjected to a heat treatment to form an L-shaped loop. Four bending points of the supporting elements are provided with a wrapping portion respectively. The supporting element is provided on the peripheral edge of the front sheet of the shoe cover assembly. Then, the front sheet is combined with the rear sheet. By this arrangement, the way of folding and storing the conventional bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly is changed, and a convenient smaller folded construction is achieved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the supporting element of the foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to an embodiment of the invention, the supporting element is formed into an L shape. Four bending points of the supporting element are provided with a wrapping portion respectively.

In the supporting element of the foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to an embodiment of the invention, the front sheet and rear sheet are made of waterproof thin film or waterproof cloth.

In the supporting element of the foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to an embodiment of the invention, the waterproof thin film is one selected from silicone, thermoplastic polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, sticky silicone, polyvinylchloride (PVC) and foams thereof.

In the supporting element of the foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to an embodiment of the invention, the waterproof cloth is one selected from nylon, polyester and polypropylene.

In the supporting element of the foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to an embodiment of the invention, the thickness of the waterproof thin film is in a range of 0.01 mm to 2 mm.

In the supporting element of the foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to an embodiment of the invention, the supporting element is one selected from elastic or inelastic materials including piano wire, shape memory wire, galvanizing iron wire, thin steel rope, stainless steel wire, plastic strip and plastic steel strip.

In the supporting element of the foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to an embodiment of the invention, the diameter of the supporting element is in a range of 0.05 mm to 3 mm.

In the supporting element of the foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to an embodiment of the invention, the front sheet and the rear sheet are combined with each other by high frequency heating, ultrasonic welding, heat sealing, stitching, or adhesive tapes.

In the supporting element of the foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to an embodiment of the invention, the rear sheet is made of sticky silicone.

In the supporting element of the foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to an embodiment of the invention, combining pieces provided on the rear sheet are made of Velcro tapes, fastening pieces or adhesive silicon piece.

In the supporting element of the foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to an embodiment of the invention, a front edge of the supporting element is juxtaposed with a galvanizing iron wire or stainless steel wire by riveting.

The detailed description and technical contents of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the connection of both ends of the supporting element of the foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a wrapping portion of the supporting element of the foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a top view showing a front sheet of the foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a front view showing the front sheet of the foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a folded state of the supporting element of the foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing a folded state of the supporting element of the foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing that a holding piece is provided in the front sheet of the foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 2. The present invention provides a bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly 1, which is constituted of a front sheet 10, a rear sheet 11, a supporting element 12, and two connecting pieces 13 and 13′. The front sheet 10 is substantially formed into a rounded rectangular sheet. The peripheral edge of the front sheet 10 is provided with the supporting element 12 for generating a desired shape and acting as the vamp of the shoe. A combining piece 14 on one side of the front sheet 10 is combined with the combining piece 14′ formed on a notch 15 of the rear sheet 11 by high frequency heating, ultrasonic welding, heat sealing, stitching, adhesive tapes or the like.

The rear sheet 11 is substantially formed into a rectangular sheet for wrapping the leg of a user. One side of the rear sheet 11 is formed with a curved notch 15. The front edge and the rear edge of the rear sheet 11 are provided with the connecting pieces 13, 13′ respectively that are connected with each other by mean of male-and-female engagement. The connecting pieces 13 and 13′ may be embodied as Velcro tapes, fastening pieces or adhesive silicon pieces. The combining piece 14′ formed at the notch 15 is combined with the combining piece 14 of the front sheet 10 by high frequency heating, ultrasonic welding, heat sealing, stitching, adhesive tapes or the like. The front sheet 10 and the rear sheet 11 may be made of waterproof thin film or waterproof cloth. The waterproof thin film may be one selected from silicone, thermoplastic polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, sticky silicone, polyvinylchloride (PVC) and foams thereof with a thickness in a range of 0.01 mm to 2 mm. The waterproof cloth may be embodied as nylon, polyester or polypropylene. Alternatively, the film or cloth constituting the front sheet 10 or the rear sheet 11 may be made of the same or different materials. The rear sheet 11 may be made of adhesive silicon film. If so, the connecting pieces 13 and 13′ are unnecessary because the rear sheet 11 made of adhesive silicon film can be adhered with each other by itself. Alternatively, the combining pieces of the front sheet 10 and the rear sheet 11 may be partially or completely made of waterproof breathable materials.

The supporting element 12 is an elongate strip continuously formed into an L shape. As shown in FIG. 4, four bending ends A, B, C, D of the supporting element 12 are spirally provided with a wrapping portion 121 each configured like a spring, thereby providing a better bendability. The supporting element 12 is subjected to a heat treatment to have elasticity or inelasticity, and it is made of materials such as piano wire, shape memory wire, galvanized iron wire, thin steel wire, stainless steel wire, other metallic strips, plastic strips, plastic steel strips or the like. The diameter of the supporting element 12 is in a range of 0.05 mm to 3 mm, and the supporting element 12 is provided on the peripheral edge of the front sheet 10.

The connecting pieces 13 and 13′ are configured as a male piece and a female piece engaged with each other. The connecting pieces 13 and 13′ are provided on the front edge and rear edge of the rear sheet 11 respectively. The connecting pieces 13 and 13′ may be embodied as Velcro tape, fastening elements or adhesive silicon piece. The front sheet 10 and the rear sheet 11 are made of thin films to be connected with each other. The peripheral edge of the front sheet 10 is provided with the bendable supporting element 12, so that the shoe cover assembly of the invention can be put on or taken off more conveniently and can be folded easily for storage.

Please also refer to FIGS. 3 to 8 showing the supporting element 12. The bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly 1 is constituted of a front sheet 10, a rear sheet 11, a supporting element 12, and two connecting pieces 13 and 13′. The peripheral edge of the front sheet 10 is provided with the supporting element 12 which is continuously formed into an L-shaped body. The supporting element 12 may be made of elastic or inelastic materials such as piano wire, shape memory wire, galvanized iron wire, thin steel rope, stainless steel wire, plastic strip, or plastic steel strip. The diameter of the supporting element 12 is in a range of 0.05 mm to 3 mm, so that the supporting element 12 can be embodied as a flat strip. The leading and tail ends of the supporting element 12 are connected to each other by a fastening piece 120 or soldering, thereby forming a loop.

Please refer to FIGS. 4 to 8 again. The supporting element 12 is provided on the peripheral edge of the front sheet 10 in such a manner that four bending points A, B, C, D of the supporting element 12 are configured as a wrapping portion 121 respectively which has a spring-like shape and better bendability. By this arrangement, the bending points C, D on left and right sides of the supporting element 12 can be compressed toward the center of the toe of the shoe (FIG. 8). Further, when the bending points A, B are bent in the vertical direction (FIG. 7), the supporting element 12 can have a larger bending angle. The bending points A, B, C, D are embodied as a wrapping portion 121 respectively. Since the supporting element 12 is subjected to a heat treatment and made of elastic or inelastic materials such as piano wire, shape memory wire, galvanized iron wire, thin steel wire, stainless steel wire, other metallic strips, plastic strips, plastic steel strips or the like. Thus, the supporting element 12 already has a certain allowance of deformation. The bending points A, B, C, D are embodied as a wrapping portion 121 respectively. However, in another embodiment, the wrapping portions 121 are only provided at the bending points A, B or the bending points C, D. Alternatively, the bending points A, B, C, D are not provided with the wrapping portion 121 because the supporting element 12 has inherent flexibility. Thus, the bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly of the invention can be bent or folded, so that the user can carry it out easily and conveniently.

Please refer to FIG. 9 showing that a holding piece is provided on the front sheet to thereby hold the shape of the bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly 1. More specifically, the inner front edge of the supporting element 12 is juxtaposed with a curved holding piece 16. The holding piece 16 may be embodied as a galvanized iron wire or stainless steel wire which has an insufficient elasticity but still can be bent freely. The leading and tail ends of the holding piece 16 are juxtaposed with the supporting element 12 by riveting or soldering. The holding piece 16 is partially exposed to the outer edge of the front sheet 10. After the user puts on the bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly 1, the user may bend the holding piece 16 toward another direction based on his/her needs, thereby increasing the stability of the shoe cover assembly. Of course, it is not necessary to provide the holding piece 16 on the supporting element 12.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the foregoing preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details thereof. Various equivalent variations and modifications can still occur to those skilled in this art in view of the teachings of the present invention. Thus, all such variations and equivalent modifications are also embraced within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A supporting element of a foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly, at least including a front sheet, a rear sheet, a supporting element, and a plurality of combining pieces, characterized in that: the supporting element is provided on a peripheral edge of the front sheet to substantially form an L-shaped loop, the supporting element is provided with a plurality of wrapping portions, front and rear edges of the rear sheet are provided with a combining pieces respectively, the rear sheet is also provided with a curved notch to be combined with the front sheet, the plurality of wrapping portions provided on the supporting element generate a bendable flexibility to thereby fold the bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly for better storage.
 2. The supporting element of a foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to claim 1, wherein the wrapping portions are provided at four bending points or two bending points on the supporting element.
 3. The supporting element of a foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to claim 1, wherein the front sheet and rear sheet are made of waterproof thin film or waterproof cloth.
 4. The supporting element of a foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to claim 3, wherein the waterproof thin film is one selected from silicone, thermoplastic polyurethane, polyethylene, polypropylene, sticky silicone, polyvinylchloride (PVC) and foams thereof.
 5. The supporting element of a foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to claim 3, wherein the waterproof cloth is one selected from nylon, polyester and polypropylene.
 6. The supporting element of a foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to claim 3, wherein the thickness of the waterproof thin film is in a range of 0.01 mm to 2 mm.
 7. The supporting element of a foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to claim 1, wherein the supporting element is one selected from elastic or inelastic materials including piano wire, shape memory wire, galvanizing iron wire, thin steel rope, stainless steel wire, plastic strip and plastic steel strip.
 8. The supporting element of a foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the supporting element is in a range of 0.05 mm to 3 mm.
 9. The supporting element of a foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to claim 1, wherein the combining pieces of the rear sheet are made of Velcro tapes, fastening pieces or adhesive silicon piece.
 10. The supporting element of a foldable bottomless rainproof shoe cover assembly according to claim 1, wherein a front edge of the supporting element is juxtaposed with a curved holding piece made of a galvanizing iron wire or a stainless steel wire by riveting or soldering. 